“Having followed the proceedings of Module 8 of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, a module that has examined the impact of the pandemic on children and young people in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland (NI), I am looking forward to giving evidence to the Inquiry on the last day of the public hearings on Thursday.
NICCY was granted Core Participant status and has played an active role in the Inquiry’s hearings over the last four weeks, highlighting the voice of the child.
As the NI Commissioner for Children and Young People, I have a statutory duty to safeguard and promote the rights and best interests of children, including reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of laws and practices affecting them. I am committed to ensuring that the voices and experiences of children and young people in NI are properly represented, and this will be foremost in my thoughts on Thursday.
Throughout the Covid period and beyond, we have repeatedly heard how children’s rights were violated. Young people have spoken about the lack of reliable information, how they were scapegoated, and at times feared for their lives and the lives of their loved ones. Young people have highlighted how lonely and isolated they felt, and the impact this has had on mental health, education, and, indeed, their trust in government.
Overwhelmingly, children and young people have told us how decisions have been made about them – impacting their lives, and their futures – and that their views were not sought, listened to or considered. The Inquiry so far has been insightful and impactful, and serious questions have been asked of the government about things like the lack of planning, the lack of consideration on the impact of government decisions on children, the lack of engagement with children and young people, and, shockingly, a one-day planning process for school closures.
Concerns were also raised about the impacts of driving children online, without appropriate safeguards, and how this has contributed to online harms and access to things like violent porn, child criminal and sexual exploitation, and peer-to-peer sexual abuse.
One of the most poignant moments so far was when Monye Anyadike-Danes KC, representing NICCY, shared the voices and lived experiences of children and young people from NI. The impact of these powerful stories on the Inquiry was clear for all to see.
One of the stories Monye shared was Elodie’s: ‘Covid impacted so many people. For me, I lost my grandfather as his cancer treatment was stopped due to hospital pressures, and we cared for him at home until he died in July 2020. I was 10… and I remember reading our favourite book to him just before he passed away, one that he had read to me so many times – Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney. I loved him to the moon and back.’
We also heard from school leaders like Paul Marks, Principal of The High School Ballynahinch, who described the long-term toll the pandemic has had on children’s mental wellbeing. Other Core Participants outlined that there were and are systemic failures in government in terms of prioritising children’s rights. Many contributors raised the lack of consultations with Children’s Commissioners as a major flaw, with calls made to create a statutory duty making it mandatory for government to consult with Commissioners.
Calls were also made for the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) to be incorporated into domestic law. This is a key priority for my office – I believe that incorporation is the single-most important thing we can do for children and young people, particularly those most vulnerable.
On Thursday, I will be aiming to help children and young people receive meaningful answers and explanations to their questions about the pandemic and, importantly, influence the necessary changes and improvements that are needed ahead of any future emergency situation.
I will speak on behalf of children and young people like Elodie and countless others who deserve answers and meaningful change. The mistakes made during Covid – and the devastating, long-term consequences – cannot be allowed to happen again. Governments must ensure that children’s rights are fully protected in law and that a child-rights approach is embedded in all decision-making, especially in times of crisis. For many, a ‘better normal’ has yet to arrive. It is my sincere hope that the recommendations from this Inquiry will help deliver it.”
